Package-handling tool.



1. B.- vv|mms,'.|n. PACKAGE HANDLING TOL. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20NH7-A LQATIIA e Hiwit@ BTAVEB llhekllllN FBIQ,

JOHN B. WINTERS, JR., OF AVERY ISLAND, LOUISIANA.

PACKAGE-HANDLING TOOL.

Application filed February 20, 1917.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN B. WiN'rnRs, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Avery Island, in the county of Iberia and State ofLouisiana, have invented a new and useful Package-Inlandling Tool, ofwhich the following is a specication.

This invention relates to tools for handling packages such as cannedgoods, boxes of cereals, and the like, whereby they can be removedreadily from shelves out of the ordinary reach of a person, the saidtool being light and durable in construction and easy to operate, therebeing means thereon for gripping a package securely so that it will notfall while being conveyed.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings Figure l is a front elevation of the tool.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the gripping head.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference l designates anelongated shank preferably of wood and which is provided with oppositelyextending bearing elements 2 in the form of staples or eye screws. Inthese bearing elements are journaled rods 3 which extend longitudinallyof the shank and are provided at one end with angular extensions tforming grips. The other ends of the rods are bent inwardly over theadjacent end of the shank 1 and are looped to provide eyes 5 andgripping arms 6. rI`he eyes 5 fit one within the other so as to hold thearms 6 against movement away from each other without, however,interfering Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.. 2*?, 191W..

serial No. 149,820.

with the free movement of said arms about an axis extendinglongitudinally of the shank. The rods 3 and the arms 6 are formedpreferably of heavy spring wire so that during the operation of the toolthe arms 6 are free to yieldingly grip an object placed therebetween.

In using the tool the same is elevated until the arms 6 are broughtadjacent opposite sides of the article to be removed from the shelf. Thegrips t are then swung toward each other so as to cause the arms 6 tomove toward each other and bind against opposed portions of thearticle.' By holding the two grips in the fingers of one hand the toolcan be readily lowered without danger of dropping the article grippedbetween the arms G and the pressure of said arms upon the article willbe suflicient to hold it without the necessity of puncturing orotherwise injuring the package.

hat is claimed is zl. The combination with a shank, of rods extendinglongitudinally of the shank and connected thereto, said rods beingmounted for rotation, a grip at one end of each of the rods andradiating therefrom, interfitting eyes at the other end of the rods andextending over one end of the shank, and article engaging arms extendingfrom the eyes.

2. The combination with a shank, of rods extending longitudinally of theshank and connected thereto, said rods being mounted for rotation, agrip at o-ne end of each of the rods and radiating therefrom,interiitting eyes at the other' end of the rods and extending over oneend of the shank, and article engaging arms extending from the eyes,each of said rods with its grip and arm being formed in a single lengthof spring wire.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. VIN'IERS, JR. l/Vitnesses BIERE ToUoH'r, O. BoNrN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

